MADRID, August 3. /TASS/. Spain’s intelligence services assess that Moroccan authorities failed to stop the flow of migrants to the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta situated on the northern coast of Africa and also gained politically from the aftermath of the crisis, the El Pais newspaper reported.

According to it, intelligence services believe that Rabat did not plan the influx of illegal migrants beforehand. However, Moroccan authorities not only failed to stop people heading to the border crossing, but also effectively cleared the way for them. The newspaper noted that the crisis in Ceuta caught Madrid off guard, as the government was focused on fighting forest fires at the time.

According to Spanish experts, although Moroccan authorities did not orchestrate the influx of illegal migrants, they recognized an opportunity in this situation. As a result, Morocco managed to advance its territorial claims to Ceuta and Melilla onto the front pages of international media outlets and onto government agendas. Moreover, images of crowds illegally crossing the border served as a means for far-right groups to intensify their anti-migration rhetoric.

In late July, tens of thousands of illegal migrants managed to reach the autonomous city by swimming or on foot, bypassing the breakwater separating Ceuta from Morocco. Amid the crisis, the Spanish government decided to deploy troops to help maintain security in the city. At least 72 people died while attempting to reach Ceuta. The vast majority of migrants are believed to have already returned to Morocco.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the crisis in Ceuta is a violation of the country’s territorial integrity. According to government officials, human trafficking networks have spread a misleading interpretation of a recent Supreme Court ruling via social media and messaging platforms, convincing people that those who manage to reach Ceuta would be allowed to stay in Spain.